


Into the unknown

by Dreamystory



Category: Julian Devorak - Fandom, The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: dad!julian
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:40:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22001083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamystory/pseuds/Dreamystory
Summary: Being the daughter of a former doctor of the plague of a sorceress in Vesuvia is nothing but pure normality, a monotonous normality for Cassandra Devorak, the eldest daughter of Julian and Isadora Devorak. But the call of the unknown is close to the hearts of the Devoraks, her father and mother know this even though she doesn't know. They hear it too. Following the traces of the past she'll find herself into the waves of the unknown.
Relationships: Apprentice/Julian Devorak, Julian Devorak/Reader
Kudos: 10





	1. Cassandra

The thin fingers of Isadora Devorak, commonly known by now as the doctor's wife, passed smoothly and delicately over the small unmarked strokes of the little face that had come into the world since the past three minutes and twenty-five seconds, and Isadora knew she would never forget the stinging pain that gave birth to that little miracle had involved: tight squeezes to contract the muscles of her stomach, gasping breaths and exhausted sobs. It was worth it.

Cassandra, the baby girl, slept after crying at the edge of her tiny lungs. For a moment the new parents had panicked and Isadora had startes cradling her daughter shyly in her arms making her stop crying after a while. Julian's shoulders had relaxed when she calmed down and breathed a sigh of relief.

"it's incredible." the new mother had murmured "we created her ..." Julian was leaning next to his wife in their double bed, their torso leaning towards her and one arm resting on the head of the bed allowing Isadora to lean on it. He giggled softly and extended his slender forefinger to his daughter's face, caressing her still red face. Cassandra made a sound of annoyance and her fist tightened around Julian's finger, Isadora felt her daughter's father startle surprised by that little grip "...are you seeing it, Isa?" He murmured. Isadora looked at the look of complete amazement on Julian's face, as his eyes filled with pure love for that tiny being he had helped to create. Her heart was softened by the same love she had felt after seeing beyond the mask the t who was her husband had worn so long ago "hold her in her arms." he said finally, with imperative but also soft as a cloud.

Julian's gray eyes widened "are you sure?" she asked in a trembling voice "and if ... and if I hurt her by mistake? And if she fell from my arms? And if she didn't like me - a-ah! Isadora, wait! I'm not-" that swirl of insecurities had just a way to be stopped, and his wife knew him well. Act before he could finish speaking. Then he had quietly but firmly put his daughter in his arms, and felt them stiffen in contact with the little body of the newborn. "here you go, Papa." she said, gently guiding him on how to hold her in his arms; she placed the baby's soft head on the crook of Julian's arm, guiding his right hand to support Cassandra's little body, and his left hand tattooed with a sign of a crime that her husband hadn't committed to caressing the little girl's head ... .and that tiny skull seemed even smaller against his big hand.

Julian Devorak didn't move an inch of his whole body, as if petrified. Isadora could barely make out the movement of his broad chest rising and falling to the rhythm of hid breathing, slow and steady almost for fear of awakening their child. Isadora put both her hands on his shoulders and realized how tense they were "... Julian, relax." She said in a loving whisper "look at her. She's your daughter, she's here and she is healthy ... we're a family now." Slowly the tension eased and Julian was spellbound watching his daughter. Cassandra had yawned in the meantime, so her small thin lips were half open. But Julian's heart accelerated when the smooth skin of the baby's cheek rested on the part of the chest he had left bare-chested just before he took her in his arms: Julian knew that it was customary to do so for the child to know the scent of his parents . Behind his tuft of copper-colored hair, Isadora could see her husband's eyes sparkle with tears. Having gained confidence, he held her with one arm only because he had to use his other hand to cover up an emotional sob that was running away from his lips. Isadora looked at him worriedly, then relaxed as she saw that behind her hand was an excited, happy smile.

"Hi Cassandra... it's your papa.." he murmured softly, his usually raspy and sure voice faltered with a slight laugh in the midst of a sob. Julian's hooked nose leaned against the little girl's forehead, and at that moment Isadora realized that at that moment Julian Ilya Devorak had finally become the man he should have been from the beginning.

A happy man.


	2. Two weeks

The first two weeks of Cassandra's life were a completely new experience for Isadora and Julian, and visits by people who wanted to see the newcomer in the Devorak family were part of a never-ending list and they seemed to have waited to give a moment of breath to new parents and allow them to learn to love the most perfect little creature they had ever held in their arms ... at that point the two had absolutely no desire to give her to anyone except her aunts, her grandmother and their close friends. Mazelinka had gone to check on the child and the new father and the new mother a couple of times, just to make sure of the necessary and to clean the house a little while they were both resting. Isadora had thanked her wholeheartedly, but the new grandmother had simply replied "nonsense, darling. This and more for the family" but from the look that Julian had sent her, Isadora deduced that her husband would be in debt with Mazelinka in some way .

Auntie Portia and auntie Nadia had introduced themselves as soon as possible, one that barely contained the enthusiasm to meet her niece. She had immediately wanted to hold her in her arms, with unexpected mastery and sitting next to Isadora making faces to make Cassandra laugh. Nadia, on the other hand, had been more composed and had confined herself in cooing the newborn with phrases like "the most beautiful girl I have ever seen" and "I will spoil her as if there were no tomorrow"

Of course, Asra and Muriel had also come to see them and their calm reaction to seeing the baby was a breath of fresh air for Isadora and Julian; Asra had asked a few questions and Muriel had timidly asked if he was allowed to pick her up, with such a shy look that Isadora felt a great tenderness for him "of course you can!" Julian had said "Cassandra is looking forward to being taken into Uncle Muriel's arm! "So that mountain of man had stretched his arms and gently Isadora had put her daughter in his arms. After a few moments of insecurity, Muriel let out a smile" she has your nose, Devorak." He said jokingly to Julian, who rolled his eyes "oh, my poor daughter..." he said "I hoped she would not inherit my nose." Asra had folded his arms and shrugged his shoulders with a smile "She'll have to get used to it like you did." he said with a chuckle "I see no other choice." As if she had felt called into question, Cassandra made a small annoyed sound and started waving her tiny fists in the air and sending Muriel into a panic

"oh, no..." the man murmured "what did I do? Is it my fault?" he was quick to brush the baby back into her mother's arms, Isadora gently rubbed Muriel's arm "Muri, don't worry. It's not your fault, Cassandra is just hungry." She said softly, then realized that she would have to breastfeed her. She looked shyly at the men in front of her and felt a blush making its way along her face "could you guys turn around for a moment...?" She asked timidly, her voice slightly overhung by Cassandra's high-pitched cries. The three men looked at each other, Muriel let go of an embarrassed cough and Asra gestured to both his friend and new father to obey with a movement of the head. 

Once the three had looked elsewhere, she uncovered a breast and approached the baby: Cassandra got on well and immediately began to suck the milk "okay, now you can turn around if you want." she said, stroking the few fine red hair on Cassandra's head with the kindness only a mother has. Julian almost burst into tears again, this time seeing his daughter's face so relaxed and happy. Asra chuckled "I knew that becoming a father would make you even more emotional, Ilya."

And how could one blame him?  
After Asra and Muriel followed a string of people that Julian didn't even remember. Even patients who had known of the baby's arrival and who had gone through a quick visit almost without passion, but just for the joy of seeing their doctor's daughter and all this in one day. Arriving in the evening, Julian locked the door to avoid further visits at that time and stretched his back against the counter of the shop which was also their home, raising his long arms over his head and straightening his back making it crack and doing the same with his knuckles. "all right there, darling?" he asked his wife. Up the stairs, Isadora rolled her eyes "Yes, all right." he said. She had laid Cassandra in the cradle after putting her to sleep. She had atrophied legs after lying down for so long, she felt the need to walk but she didn't want to leave her daughter alone; Isadora couldn't take her eyes off her, it was too good to have her here. She couldn't count all the times she and her husband, lying in bed, had fantasized about their child's appearance ... and Cassandra perfectly embodied what they had imagined: from the color of the eyebrows saddle it was clear that the color of the her hair would have been a darker copper and those few times she opened her eyes they were gray tending to dark purple.

"I know what you're doing." said Julian, even from that distance Isadora could hear a hint of laughter in his voice. The woman straightened her bust from the folded position she had assumed to observe Cassandra. "she just fell asleep," she said, smiling spellboundly "she looks so much like you, Julian ... it's incredible."  
downstairs, Julian was fumbling with something metallic, maybe he was trying to pull a pot out of the cupboard. "my poor little girl, she could inherit everything from me. Why did it have to be my nose?" he said, he too was trying to keep quiet so as not to wake her. He was joking, of course. "I bet she also inherited the drama from you, my dear." She said, moving away from the cradle to lean against the door jamb: arms crossed over her breast and ready to hear her husband's reply. She almost laughed when she thought she heard Julian's hand fly to his chest and she could see the look of fake disdain on his face, betrayed by a smile and a light in his eyes that she had never seen before. "oh, I? dramatic? how dare you? oh,woe is me!" 

Isadora giggled "if your daughter has your same light sleep then we're screwed." she said, putting a finger to her lips "be quiet, my dramatic actor."  
Julian ran a hand through his auburn hair "oh, that's definitely it. Devoraks have a very light sleep." He said. "Then we'd better not make a fuss with Princess Devorak over there, Mr. Devorak." Isadora said, smiling. Julian found himself giggling again "if she's the princess this makes you the queen, my love." he said in that persuasive tone that made her knees give in every time. She would have thrown herself on him if the birth hadn't exhausted her enough to make her want to sleep for the next hundred years. "and this makes you my king, Dr. Devorak"

There was a moment of pause and Isadora realized that Julian had to be red like a pepper, she giggled "Mama Devorak gains ground. Hold on tight, daddy!" Julian chuckled "ooh, did you hear that Cass?" he said, still keeping the tone low "mommy is challenging your daddy? Did I hear you right?" Isadora raised an eyebrow and smiled again "you can bet your bibs 'bout that, my hubby." She said before a yawn interrupted his sensual attack on him. Ilya chuckled softly "until you get back in shape, your hubby will be here to take care of his little wife and his little princess." he said with a chant in his voice. Isadora couldn't help but smile "are you sure? I don't want you to overwork yourself.." she said softly when a crack of moonlight caught her attention

"I didn't realize it was so late .. . how long has the sun been gone?" Julian climbed the stairs four at a time, facilitated by his long legs. Arriving in front of her, he gently laid a hand on her back and led her to bed "long enough for all of us to go to bed, my beloved." He told her. Isadora glanced at him "are you agreeing to go to bed? What parallel universe are we in?" her sarcasm was interrupted by another yawn and a sound of annoyance when she sat down, those stitches sewn down below caused her much pain. 

"ah..." she let out a moan, letting her head fall backwards for a moment "damn it." She felt Julian's hand on her back, his touch let out an extreme worry "are you okay? Where does it hurt?"  
Isadora put her a hand on his "all is well, love." She said "the points down there bother me, but it doesn't matter ... it was worth it, don't you think?" "ah ..." she let out a moan, letting her head fall back for a moment "damn." He felt Julian's hand on his back, his touch let out an extreme worry "are you okay? Where does it hurt?"  
Isadora put her a hand on his "all is well, love." he said "the points down there bother me, but it doesn't matter ... it was worth it, don't you think?"  
Julian's face melted into an expression of pure relief mixed with pride, he gave her a kiss on her head "absolutely."

•••

Just when they were beginning to think that being a parent is easy at the beginning, Murphy's law proved them the opposite with a clear message: the child will do what she wants at the hour she wants until her first year of life, you two resign. And this theory could only be confirmed a week after her birth, at exactly four in the morning. Cassandra had woken up for some reason unknown to them and with a small wail of warning she had begun to scream with all her little strength: her graceful little face sulking in the wincing face and her tiny fists moved uncoordinated. Julian slept very lightly, even more now that he was a father. So he woke up as soon as Cassandra started crying so hard. He got up in the double bed, holding his hands on the mattress and slowly opening his eyes, crumpled by the sleep that was interrupted so abruptly. His eyes took a while to get used to the darkness and his brain to record the fact that the sound came from his daughter's cradle. As soon as he realized it, a very tight knot clenched his stomach for the first time since Isadora had announced that she was in labor. Isadora was exhausted and needed rest: being a new mother is not easy, with all the nightly feedings, the cradling and humming of lullabies had exhausted her. As for Julian, the day of Cassandra's birth was the only one in which he had had the courage to hold her ... for the rest of the time he had been terrified that she could break into a single false movement, and in the grip of anxiety as a new parent, he had merely observed her dreamily from beyond her mother's cradle or shoulder. But now? Now that their miracle of daughter was crying so loudly and so desperately? His heart shattered every second more as he heard her scream like that. Before he could even think about it, Ilya got up slowly and went to the cradle. Cassandra's small chest was shaken by the effort to take a breath between a long series of high-pitched cries and another, so much so that the child didn't even realize when Julian stretched out his hands and took her in his arms

"sssshhh..."he murmured softly" ssssssh...it's okay, baby. Papa's here,Cass." But the tears did not diminish, Cassandra screamed louder and louder. Julian took a long, shuddering breath and began to rock her shyly; the result was minimal, but this gave Daddy a lot more confidence to see that something was working. Walking helped to calm her, apparently. But as soon as Julian sat down, she resumed screaming like crazy; her little head resting on her father's chest and her little hands clutched the fabric of the little dresses that wrapped her.

Just as Julian was about to panic, an old lullaby came back to him. It was like a flash of lightning, a tiny line of a strophe that made him relive his childhood before the sinking. Ilona, Cassandra's grandmother, always sang to him that lullaby ... how could he have forgotten it for all that time? He looked down at Cassandra's little face and wondered if it could work ... it was worth a try. Hoping his voice didn't shake. 

"Where the north wind meets the sea  
There's a river full of memory  
Sleep, my darling, safe and sound  
For in this river all is found"

Julian's singing had never been much, but in that case his voice took the most impossible notes with infinite sweetness. Cassandra's eyes widened and she looked at her father, her eyes wet with tears stopped producing them even though she sobbed a little more.

"In her waters, deep and true  
Lie the answers and a path for you  
Dive down deep into her sound  
But not too far or you'll be drowned

Where the north wind meets the sea  
There's a mother full of memory  
Come, my darling, homeward bound  
When all is lost, then all is found"

Julian's singing had never been much, but in that case his voice took the most impossible notes with infinite sweetness. Cassandra's eyes widened and she looked at her father, her eyes wet with tears stopped producing them even though she sobbed a little more.   
when he finished singing, he was relieved to hear Cassandra's laughter. So relieved.


	3. Say daddy

"Can you say daddy?"  
This was the phrase Isadora had heard several times over the last few weeks as she watched Julian holding Cassandra in his arms and swinging her, holding her in front of him and repeating "Daaaaddddyyyy" to have their daughter learn to say that word he so much to hear her say. Isadora knew how much Julian wanted it to be precisely that term that by now defined him to be the first word of their first child, and she knew that he wouldn't give up until he could do it. "Come on, Cass!" the man said softly: Cassandra's big gray eyes looked at him as he held her in front of him, their little daughter disappeared amid Julian's large and slender hands and Cassandra had no idea what was happening, nor why her father had been holding her for so long. Isadora was sewing next to them, sitting on the sofa next to her daughter and her husband: she was paying attention with the needle she was holding, but her brain also lent itself to the scene beside her. Every now and then she broke off to take off some brown strands of hair out of her eyes and to lean her hands on her lap, looking at the scene with amusement softened to see Julian rubbing his hooked nose against Cassandra's "Daaaaddy" he repeated again "not difficult, daaaaddy" But all that Cassandra did was stretch her hands and move them against her dad's face, from his nose bridge to his sculpted and high cheekbones and then move on to her lower lip, laughing when she realized how fun it was to pull her daddy's lips . Dad seemed equally amused, and for a moment he forgot about his intent and tickled her on the tummy. Cassandra gurgled, bursting out laughing and waving her arms amused. Their daughter's laughter was contagious, so both Julian and Isadora laughed in turn. "Julian, she has two months!" finally said Isadora " she won't talk before she reaches nine months"  
Julian puffed out his chest pretending to be offended "sorry? She's a Devorak! Of course she'll talk!" he said, the laughter sounded in his voice. Isadora playfully rolled her eyes, stroking Cassandra's head.

•••

Two months after her birth, Cassandra was definitely a mix of all the family traits. She was a quiet baby, if she cried it meant she wasn't feeling well, she was sleepy, or she was hungry. And when it happened she knew that mom or dad were always ready to come to her to gently rock her, sometimes even to exhaustion in the case of dad. She always slept a long time and more or less at normal times ... even if every once in a while she took a fever. And for Julian it was as terrible as for Isadora, to see when Cassandra's little face reddened and begin to sweat and complain. In those cases neither of them slept. They took it in turns to rock her, and when it wasn't her turn Isadora alternated in looking at her daughter and her husband; In those cases Julian put her in the middle of them in the bed, holding her with one hand and lifting her to keep her on his chest when she started complaining. The terror in her husband's eyes was all too obvious, even from the fact that she opened her eyelid from time to time to check the color of her sclera, letting go of an imperceptible hiccup dictated by relief. Isadora's heart broke at that scene, and she reached out to stroke his shoulder "love." She said, sitting up and asking him to do the same. Julian did it holding Cassandra in his arms with trembling hands "... I... I can't lose her, Isadora"  
"you won't lose her."  
Julian took a shuddering breath, cradling Cassandra again and kissing her on the forehead. She gave off more heat than a fireplace. "so you will get sick too." his wife told him  
"I don't care." he answered. 

a few days later, in fact, Julian fell ill and obviously Isadora had forced him to stay in bed. The most beautiful scene, however, was to enter the room and see Cassandra curled up in bed and press her face against Julian's arm, using it as a pillow and her father asleep in turn and in those moments Isadora could clearly see how much Cassandra looked like the man who he had had the courage to put himself at risk to save the lives of the people of Vesuvia from the red plague. This gave her honor, and she wondered if her husband saw her in their daughter.

•••

for the rest, Cassandra wasn't very demanding. It was clear that he would have a reddish brown hair color. The shape of his mother's lips, but thinner and the shape of the little face would have been similar to Aunt Portia's.


	4. First masquerade

Isadora didn't remember that her Masquerade dress was so beautiful, now that after so long she held it in her hands and in a purple fabric with green shades, the fabric finally touched her fingers, like a silent caress of a feather on the wings of the past. It would have been the first Masquerade of the year, and Nadia had something big in mind exactly like the Masquerade of two years before ... except for the casual appearance of phantom goats and the realm of the goat man.

That goat man. Just thinking about it, a shiver of terror rose up her spine, and she had to rub her arms and calm her goose bumps. She shook her head, she knew that the threat of the ghost of the man who had been the cause of the plague was solved and that they would have so much fun ... even more since that was Cassandra's first Masquerade. Isadora ran a hand over the neckline of her dress, before placing it on the bed and starting to look for her mask; it had the shape of a peacock beak, curved, black and elegant with green feathers on either side of it and a purple pendant in the middle of the eye slits. It was a funny randomness that both she and her husband shared the same animal category as a familiar ... his was Malak, an ink-black raven. Despite being so proud and haughty, Malak had a terrible weak spot for Cassandra, so much that he let her comb his feathers and crush him in one of her big hugs. The scene was sometimes comical, and Julian had repeatedly feared that Malak's sharp beak could hurt the his daughter, but it hadn't happened not once. Malak was too careful and devoted to hurt her.  
Isadora's familiar was a little more ... complicated as a character. He was a peacock named Hassall, and he was even more picky and grumpy than Malak was. He was never at ease next to the children, but Cassandra was a stubborn child and didn't give up. She tried to caress him, and then Hassal had no choice but to remain still, but to run away as Cassandra was distracted for a moment. Now that she was starting to crawl, escaping them was more complicated. his thoughts interrupted when Julian poked his head out of their bedroom door, wearing his Masquerade dress. After two years it was still dashing on him, perfect on his shoulders and around his waist "what do you say?" he said, leaning against the door frame showing his most seductive pose, one hand on his right hip and the other leaning against the wood of the door, a hand stretched out on top of it and his eyebrow raised. Isadora giggled "wow, who is this supermodel in front of me?" She asked, removing her hair from her eyes. Julian took her by her hips and in an instant their faces were very close, ready to exchange a kiss "the man you married, Mrs. Devorak" Isadora giggled and kissed him on the nose, before helping him adjust his fiery-red tie "have you already put the dress on Cassandra?" Julian nodded, sighing "It was like putting a t-shirt on an octopus, but I did it"  
"my hero," she said, laying a kiss on his cheek "can my hero go to rescue the princess while the queen prepares herself?" Julian touched her chin with his fingers and lifted it to kiss her "I will, immediately" and then walked towards the cradle, where Cassandra was sitting between the sheets with the pacifier in her mouth, Malak was standing above the cradle and Cassandra looked at him intently. The raven was too busy cleaning his feathers to notice the child's gaze, when he became aware he froze, ready for another session of affectionate but bone-hugging embraces of his owner's daughter. Thankfully, Julian intervened in time to prevent Malak from ruffling his feathers "heyyy," he said softly, approaching the edge of the crib and resting his hands on the edge of it to look at the baby. Cassandra raised her gray eyes towards him and immediately stretched her hands towards her dad, this made Julian's heart fly "how is my little crow? Hm? You okay, honey?" while his slender hands had moved to take his daughter in his arms with a familiarity he had only recently learned: Cassandra's small dress was pretty, very much like the white and black of a white-headed eagle with a ribbon tied to the center and black shoes, her few auburn hair darker than her father's had been gathered in two pigtails at the side of her head: Julian bounced her gently in her arms "what a beautiful young lady, just like your mother!" and gave her a kiss on the small cheek "...about your mom, Isa! are you ready?"

The noise of heels from the other room answered "yes, yes! I'm coming!" She said, appearing in sight at that moment. Julian found himself breathless: he had almost forgotten that those were the clothes they had worn during their first Masquerade, when they fell in love and when Julian finally realized that he wanted a future with that wonderful woman... and that future was in their arms. Isadora immediately noticed the blush on her husband's cheekbones and let out a soft laugh, smoothing her dress on her hips, which had been slightly more curved since she gave birth, as well as the upper part of her bust. Julian thought this made her even more beautiful, and that thanks to these changes the dress looked even better. Isadora caught his dazed and dreamy look, and a flash of insecurity crossed her violet eyes and bit her lip "you don't like the dress?" she asked nervously "maybe it's too tight on the hips? you don't like the split of the skirt on the leg?" and as she said this she turned around, looking at the dress, stretched like a violin string. Julian held out his hand and took Isadora's in his, moving it quickly from her palm to the narrowest part of his wife's back and pulling her into a kiss that silenced all his doubts. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Isadora let go of a "hmph!" but she relaxed at his delicate touch and the sensation of his lips against hers. When Julian broke the kiss, there was nothing but pure love in his gray eye "you're absolutely beautiful." he said softly "the sun is hiding, because it cannot match your splendor." Isadora felt herself blushing, but she found herself laughing when Cassandra babbled ruining the dramatically romantic effect her father had tried to create, Julian looked at his daughter with a smile and then said "she says she agrees and that her mom is so beautiful," he said. Isadora smiled lovingly, kissing the girl's forehead and stroking her small copper-haired head "thank you, my little love." She said softly. Julian also had a black pouch in his hand and was cleverly tying it around his waist and around his shoulders using one hand, with a dexterity that Isadora didn't think he could pull off. Once finished, he put Cassandra inside the pouch, and Isadora thought he looked like the most proud and fierce man in the world, he must have felt so invincible at that moment. In fact, his gaze clearly said that he would be willing to slap, punch, kick or drop an anvil over anyone who had even twisted a hair to his child. This made her so happy, proud and moved. "What are we waiting for? Let's go to the Masquerade and beyond!" Julian exulted  
•••  
Vesuvia used to be in constant turmoil even on non-festive days, people strolled around the city chatting amiably. But that day the country was even more active, as it was during the Masquerade period. There was still not a lot of crowd, so the situation was quiet. In any case, everything was controlled to the core by positioned guards from everywhere, who towered erect and stable as oaks, inflexible as mountains. Julian and Isadora awaited the arrival of Nadia and Portia on one side of the building, who had said they would meet them there to welcome them and to forgive them for not being able to spend much time with them. So husband and wife waited hand in hand until they saw the towering figure of Nadia and the smaller one of Portia make their way down the short stairway of the building "here we are!" Portia said in his shrill voice, pulling Nadia's hand hard. The Countess of Vesuvia and Cassandra's aunt trudged to maintain her balance on her heels as she was dragged by Portia. Julian's sister rushed to hug her sister-in-law, encircling her in an embrace full of love and affection, swaying from one side to the other with the heat of the embrace. "oh, I'm so glad you made it here!" Nadia and Julian smiled at the scene, their greeting was more calm and in a certain respectful respect. They gave each other a brief hug and gave each other two kisses on the cheek. Portia broke the hug, a very wide smile crossed her face. She immediately flung himself to hug her brother in the same way, only to give up all the rest of the affection just released on her niece "and this beautiful young lady must be our niece!" She said affectionately, baby-talking her while Cassandra immediately started laughing, hearing the funny voice of her aunt. Nadia smiled lovingly "she has grown since the last time I saw her" she stated, reached out a hand and gently caressed her head, giggling when the child grabbed her hand. Portia clapped her hands, delighted "come on then! Let's go before we get sick" in fact it was starting to blow a cold wind, and then the beauty of the party would begin at that moment.  
•••  
The music was already loud at 10 o'clock at the latest and the main room was full of fun and dancing. Julian hadn't taken off his pouch once, and it completely ruined his dramatic appearance. During the evening Isadora saw him talk to anyone who was willing to have a conversation with him and talk about politics or about what Cassandra seemed to care very little about; even if every now and then she intruded into the conversation with some typical bababa-like sounds. She was just beginning to speak, although most of what she mentioned was sounds, not words.

'mama' meant both 'mommy' and 'I'm not happy', 'baba' was 'daddy', and when she repeated 'ba' several times it meant she was bored. As in that moment. Julian and Isadora were conversing with the accountant and his wife, talking about the recent overflowing of the river towards the countryside when Cassandra had begun to issue "babababababa" relentlessly. Julian bounced on the spot "right, little one" he jokingly said "it's my name, don't wear it out!" But when his little girl had started to get fussy and intractable, Julian excluded herself from the conversation "with permission, I'm going to calm Cass and I'll be right back" he kissed his wife's cheek and started, trotting to the rhythm of the music. Isadora knew what he had in mind, but the mister's wife brought her back to the conversation "How's it going with the little girl, Mrs. Devorak?" Isadora briefly adjusted the collar of her dress "wonderfully, thank you" she said "Cassandra is a wonderful child, Julian and I are really happy" the little woman with blond hair and her face furrowed by age lines smiled nodding "oh, this makesus remember so much when our little Nicholas was born ... "she said with a nostalgic air" he went to study law outside Vesuvia ... they grow so quickly. " Isadora smiled politely, the conversation was interrupted by the change of music and the sight of Julian all intent on performing a slow motion with his daughter, still in the pouch. Now she had turned and had her face turned to one side, her fleshy cheek resting on his chest. Julian's hand covered her entire body while the other gently held her little hand between the index and thumb. Isadora felt her heart melt in a pool of pure tenderness, and apologized from the conversation to go to them. "Are you practicing one of those future father-daughter dances?" Julian smiled sweetly and twirled "yes, so maybe she won't have to go dancing with some silly little boy!" he said, very serious. Isadora smiled sweetly, crossing her arms over her chest. Julian looked at her, now more serious "don't look at me like that, I want to make sure that I am the only prominent male in her life..." he said, looking down at her little daughter with an air that seemed nostalgic towards the future. Isadora pushed his hair away from his forehead and kissed Cassandra's head "well, you will always remain the prominent male in my life" she said and then raised her violet eyes to him "you are a wonderful father."  
And he knew that Julian would not forget it.


	5. Five years later

Devorak household was immersed in silence like every day at that time especially on Saturday, in November when the inhabitants of the house were wrapped in heavy blankets. The calm of the atmosphere was in perfect symbiosis with the deep and relaxed breaths that spread in the bedroom of Julian and Isadora sleeping and calm. Time continued to be generous with them, giving them only a few lines of expression on their faces and just one or two white hairs, nothing more. And every white hair was due to Cassandra's character in any case ... speaking of the devil, Julian's light sleep was interrupted by the sudden jolting movement on their double bed and something that bounced on him accompanied by a shrill little voice that said "MAMA ! MAMA,WAKE UP!! PAPA, GET UP! " jumping from one side of the bed to the other, dark copper hair waved with movement. Julian muttered sleepily, knowing full well that that early morning wave of abnormal energy could be nothing but their five-year-old daughter. Devorak house was immersed in silence like every day at that time especially on Saturday, in November when the inhabitants of the house were wrapped in heavy blankets. The calm of the atmosphere was in perfect symbiosis with the deep and relaxed breaths that spread in the bedroom of Julian and Isadora sleeping and calm. The temple continued to be generous with them, giving them only a few lines of expression on their faces and just one or two white hairs, nothing more. And every white hair was due to Cassandra's character in any case ... speaking of the devil, Julian's light sleep was interrupted by the sudden jolting movement on their double bed and something that bounced on him accompanied by a shrill little voice that said "mom ! mom! wake up !! dad, get up! " jumping from one side of the bed to the other, dark copper hair waved with movement. Julian muttered sleepily, knowing full well that that early morning wave of abnormal energy could be nothing but their five-year-old daughter. Isadora sighed, opened an eye to check that Cassandra didn't have any basic necessities or that she was bleeding, then sighed and murmured to Julian "your daughter is awake, Devorak." she said sleepily. Her husband let out a sigh by turning his back "before dawn she is your daughter-OMPH" she said as Cassandra pounced on him, his knees fell straight on his stomach "PAPA, COME ON !!! GET UP, SLEEPYHEAD!!" Julian got out of bed, his daughter was now leaning on his knees and was trying to climb on his shoulder "Papa,you said you would take me to the doctor's place!" Isadora smiled, rubbing her eyes "she's right, papa" she said to her husband "you promised." Cassandra was a child full of energy, perhaps too old for her age. She had immediately shown an interest in both medicine and magic, although she had no real preference between the two. In any case, it was sometimes difficult to keep up with Cassandra: Isadora had found her several times crawling on the kitchen counter dangerously close to kitchen utensils, and she had slung herself every time to put her away from there. Julian had to lean against a wall and keep a hand on his aching back, many times he had to be bent behind his daughter. And with his height he wasn't very comfortable, thus leading him to have what is called the chronic witch's blow. 

When Julian began to stretch (parenthesis, showing off his well sculpted built), Cassandra snorted irritably and began to pull his elbow persistently, her little hands hooked to the hollow of his arm "PAPAAAAA!" She said starting up and then looking his father straight in the eye. Mazelinka had been right, a real Devorak. She jumped on the spot (which was Julian's knee) sitting astride. Isadora stretched in turn and looked at father and daughter "Cassie, how about letting Papa get ready first?" She suggested, whatever would serve to calm Cassandra Devorak's persistent enthusiasm. The little girl's eyebrows shot down, but she nodded softly, pouting so cutely that both her parents had to try not to laugh so as not to make her feel embarrassed. Isadora stretched out a hand to brush her hair off her face and finally remove her from above her father's poor knee and keeping Cass balanced above her, astride her mother's abdomen. The pout vanished immediately when Isadora rubbed her nose against Cassandra's angular one in what was called the Eskimo kiss. The most beautiful sound after the sound of her first breath illuminated the room: Cassandra's laughter was explosive and overwhelming, she managed to dissolve even the hardest of faces with the most inflexible of ideologies in a beat of those long eyelashes and discovering that toothless smile and those few freckles on that little smiling face. In the fourth month of a second pregnancy, however, it turns a little bit difficult to keep your 5-year-old daughter in balance in that area and expect her not to rebound like a spring full of energy. Cassandra had been somewhat reluctant to the news of having a little brother or sister because she didn't want to share her parents' love with anyone. But soon, thanks to Portia who had explained that having a brother or sister isn't as bad as her niece thought (and thanks also to Nadia's intervention and the story of her experience of sisterhood), Cassandra had become accustomed to the idea of having a brother or sister. Just as Julian and Isadora were happy to have a second child, of course. They'd planned to give Cassandra a little brother or sister since she was three, but they'd waited for her to be more mature to accept it. When they confirmed that they were expecting another baby, Julian's reaction had been just as moved as the first: he had collapsed on his knees with his arms wrapped around his wife's hips, sobbing with joy in her abdomen. Isadora had digged her fingers into her husband's copper curls.  
"I can't believe it..." he murmured between one breath and the other "H-how did this happen?"  
Isadora chuckled "you know how it happened, Ilya." she replied, making her hands travel on the neck of her husband and tracing the touch in a velvetyo way on the sharp line of his jaw and making him look up at her, Ilya looked at her as if she were a kind of divinity to be venerated always and in any case , under any doubt. His single gray eye wasn't dry at all and was red with a happy, moved cry. The hold on her hips trembled, and Isadora knelt in front of him holding his face tight in her hands "I didn't think...I didn't think it would be possible again..." he murmured, passing the back of his hand on his cheek to erase the delectable trace of the tears that just fell "with Cassandra... it w-was difficult..." he said, his voice cracked without interruption and in a worrying way "I didn't think...our bodies are... - "

He was referring to the plague.  
The terrible disease that had taken possession of their bodies at different times, but in the same violent way taking Isadora away and leaving a big mark on Julian,hidden under a black eyepatch on his right eye. After Isadora was brought back to life and Julian had "cured" the plague, for a long time he thought that he would never be able to have children because of the damage his body had suffered... therefore when at one year old from the wedding they had started trying to have a child, he wasn't very optimistic and confident. When she had told him the novelty, that is that she was pregnant, he had needed a second to realize, before letting go of a roar of joy and lifting her in an embrace.

And now four years later, he was about to be a dad again. Ilya ran a hand through his hair, suddenly messy even more than usual, and let go of a hysterical laugh full of accomplishment, happiness, but also a modicum of panic. The laugh came out in breaths of gasping for joy, the hold in his hair was so strong that it made her believe that he wanted to detach it from his skull. When he let go, his messy hair made him even more handsome "two children..." he said in a whisper "two children..I will be father of two children...h-how scary is that?" She rubbed her thumbs on his cheeks, giving him a tender smile as she saw how brave and fearless the facade Julian put on when Cassandra was in his arms varied when it was his wife holding him close. Isadora Devorak brought her face close her husband's, joining their lips in a tender and comforting kiss. "terrifying." she finally answered

Isadora laid a kiss on Cassandra's messy head once father and daughter were out, ready to go to the clinic. "Now Cassie," she said, waving a finger in front of her daughter's face, the girl listened attentively. She could have been unleashed to the limit, but she listened to every word her parents said to her. "don't go away from papa, always hold his hand and don't talk to strangers. Okay darling?" as she spoke she absentmindedly arranged Cassandra's hair and clothes. The girl nodded, promptly reaching out her small hand towards Julian's huge one. "Okay, mama"  
Julian put a hand on his wife's back and gave her a personalized greeting with a long kiss, to which Cassandra reacted with a loud 'bleah!' 

After that father and daughter went to the clinic hand in hand. The workplace was nearby, and it was a subspecies of pretty cottage one block from Mom's shop. It was on one floor and had a desk with an examination table in the center. Cassandra slipped inside hopping and raising her gray eyes to look around: that place seemed so big, being she so small. A smile made its way across her face "I like this place!" she said to her father, who was closing the main door. Julian put her coat on the coat rack and gave her a proud smile. "I'm glad you like it, honey," he said. He went to her, picked her up and made her spin around "ah, my princess at work with her daddy!" Julian exclaimed, beaming. He balanced his daughter on his hip and then sat down at the desk, with Cassandra on his knee "are you comfortable?" he asked, swinging his leg a bit and making her tip over it. Cassandra nodded, and leaned back against his abdomen "it will take a while for the first patient to arrive" he said "do you think you can wait?" Cassandra nodded, she kept looking around with an enchanted look. Now she was looking at the tools that Julian kept in a special container, such as a stethoscope or an apparatus for checking knees. Her eyes came alive with a spark of curiosity as she placed her eyes on them: she proposed to ask Julian how they worked. This until the first patient arrived: she was an old woman with a shawl on her head who accused rheumatism and who massacred Cassandra's cheeks as soon as she saw her on the doctor's knee "who is this young girl?" she asked "she is so pretty, Doctor Devorak!"  
"she's my daughter, Cassandra, Mrs. Londsdale. She wanted to come with me to work."  
The old woman nodded "oh, I understand" she said, looking tenderly at the child "are we planning to have a future doctor Devorak in Vesuvia?" suddenly intimidated, Cassandra smiled sheepisly and turned on her father's knee, hiding her face in his jacket. Julian chuckled "I could hope so, Mrs. Londsdale," he said, "but instead i hope Cassandra chooses her way, and that she understands what's right for you."  
only a string of patients followed who complained of pains that Julian was able to resolve with short answers.

Around eight in the evening, Julian finally closed the clinic "did you like it, Cassie?" he asked his daughter, lifting her from his knee and carrying her to his chest. Cassandra nodded, she could barely keep her eyes open after that day "uh-huh ..." she said, yawning slightly. Julian cradled her like when she was a few months old, with the only difference that now that she was holding in her arms soon would have been a girl born six years ago. His little miracle. He kissed on the head, his tiredness soothed down by the warmth that the body of his little daughter gave off. "Papa...?" Cassandra said, murmuring sleepily while he sorted his paperwork keeping her in balance on his hip "yes, my love?"  
"how will my sibling be?"  
Julian really had to think about that question: in both pregnancies he never thought about how the children would be "oh, Cassie, I really can't tell you that." he said after a moment, blowing out the candle light and then going back to hold her with both hands "how do you think your sibling will be?" the little girl looked at him with a gleam of lucidity in her eyes, the last before sleep overwhelmed her senses "... hair like Mom's ..." she murmured. Julian smiled, finishing arranging his paperwork and putting it back in his drawer "hmm? Yes?" she said, encouraging her to say more "and mom's nose ... grandma's eyes ..."  
Upon hearing the word grandma Julian froze in his action "grandma Mazelinka?" he asked softly. Cassandra nodded softly "... yes ... I don't have another grandma."  
Julian bitterly thought it was actually the other way around, thinking of his mother Ilona. A woman as loving as elusive, with whom his father Pavel had fallen madly in love. Pasha didn't remember their parents, but Ilya did. He remembered the seraphic and laid back face of his father Pavel, the angelic and caring gaze of his mother Ilona...his heart broke if he thought that they hadn't had time to meet Cassandra, who according to him would have looked a lot like Ilona, as an adult. There was no doubt, arched nose and facial structure outlined ... a copy of her grandmother, but with a more olive complexion, more brown hair, fuller lips and purple reflections in her eyes.  
•••

Julian was terribly silent that evening: Isadora recognized the fatigue weighing on his sturdy shoulders when she saw it, but now it was weighed down by overwhelming emotion. She read it in his gray eye after she had put Cassandra to bed with difficulty; the girl was still excited from that day, and had slept for a few minutes on the way back. Once her mother tucked her blankets, Cassie kept snapping on "Mama, do you know Papa has so many tools in his lab?" She said.  
Isadora was smiling at her patiently and tucking her blankets again "yes honey, I know" she said "but now go to sleep." and she placed a kiss on her forehead for about twenty times, before the girl's eyelids dropped and sleep took over. Her mother smiled, tucked the covers well and then murmured a "goodnight, Cassie" then went out blowing out the candle. By the time he returned to their room, Julian had already taken off his shirt, and was bare-chested sitting on the edge of the bed. Isadora closed the door and joined him. "Hey," she said softly, in a distracted way as he took off her clothes and put on her nightgown. Julian smiled wearily from over his shoulder "Hey" he said in turn,his voice was betrayed by a yawn and Julian lowered his head to massage the bridge of his nose, then running a hand through his hair. Isadora moved the sheets and knelt behind him, pressing her cheek against his back and running her hands along his chest "are you okay?" She asked finally, his head peeking from his shoulder. Julian replied with a kiss on the cheek "I'm just tired." he said "Cassandra had fun."

his wife chuckled "I noticed, it took me a long time to get her to bed." but the laughter didn't continue when he saw that Julian didn't laugh, looked at a fixed point and then spoke "I noticed that Cassandra looks so much like my mother." he said with a nostalgic smile. So that was what made him sad, she moved forward and sat next to him as quickly as having an unborn human in her abdomen area would allow her "and...?" she took his hand gently. Julian took a deep breath, letting his head fall back "and ... I wonder what it would be like if my parents had known Cassandra. If they would have liked her ... I wonder what they would think of Pasha and me now." he sighed "who knows what my father would say about the man I became..." Isadora listened to him, then gave a light squeeze to his hand "he would say that he is proud of you. Of how you have changed and of the man, husband and father you are." She said. Julian continued to look at the floor, closing his gray eye for a moment. "Hey." Isadora hardened the tone of her voice for a moment "I also wonder if my parents are proud, with the only difference that I never knew them like I never knew yours." she said "but they have no reason not to feel pride of who you are. We all trust you."

She took his hand and laid it on her belly, and his face automatically moved towards her "we love you. all three of us."  
With a rapid movement, Ilya brought the hands of his beloved to his lips in a tender kiss and then extended it to her belly "are you better now?"  
Julian nodded softly, the tension in his shoulders slipped away "Yes."


	6. Hitting Hard

Isadora didn't remember having experienced so much physical and emotional pain during her first pregnancy as in the last months of the second in which she was terribly exhausted due to the continuous movement of the baby, the continuous kicking during the sleepless night and then having to manage the shop. Her husband helped her as much as he could, but even he couldn't do something for the stubbornness of the woman: Isadora had always been strong and determined, and having a child as heavy as a boulder inside her didn't stop her from carrying out her duties. She was very tense, though. it'd happened to her even a few days before Cassie was born; she was in pain everywhere, sometimes she could barely stand up straight, and had to hold on to the counter in order not to fall. The back pain didn't cease in those days and the child didn't stop moving like crazy in there. Mazelinka had said that there was no shortage of birth by now, and that she had to remain in forced rest until then. Which didn't go well at all, especially while Julian and Maz were carrying her to bed by force "oh, come on!" she said "I've already done it once, it will go as smoothly even if I move!"  
Julian put her down and tucked her blankets, Mazelinka supervised her adopted son as if to check that he himself was not giving her permission to get out of bed in those conditions "absolutely not, Isadora. Doctor's orders. " he said firmly, leveling his wife with an unexpectedly severe and serious look.

He adjusted the covers a little more, lightly brushing her belly and then nodded satisfied "very well. Listen, honey, you just have to stay in bed and not worry about anything. We will take care of everything."  
"But-" Isadora sweetened her expression "and the shop? What about Cassandra? And you with the clinic?" Ilya shook his head firmly "The clinic is the least of my thoughts. Nazali will take care of it while I'm not there , and the shop'll now be in Asra's hands again. " her husband took her hands as he spoke, Isadora melted at that touch, cold but full of delicacy and complete devotion "Everything will be fine, but you have to rest. You'll have to be in your best strength to push this little guy out." 

His big hand landed on the vast expanse of her middle as he spoke, as if trying to calm her from the state of agitation in which that round of questions had made her enter "If you get upset they will get upset too." he said, Mazelinka went out to give them some privacy "I'm going to see if Portia and Asra need a hand with Ca-"  
She didn't even end the sentence because Asra's unusually high-pitched and fearful voice rang out from under the stairs "Cassandra, No! don't touch-" but before the rest of the sentence could be heard a loud roar-like noise was heard, maybe flames. Although they knew that Asra's flames were innoque because only illusions to entertain Cassandra, the sudden noise made the shoulders of all three adults jump in the room. The Fwoooshh of the flames was followed by a series of pans that shattered on the ground and a cat that meowed in terror, Julian knew that it must have been poor Pepi. Cassie's father pinched the bridge of his nose with pure exasperation mixed with relief. It was just pans anyway. Mazelinka cringed and peered over downstairs "yeah, I really think they need it ... little rascal." She muttered, to frame Ilya "just like her father." Ilya sighed, Mazelinka instead ran down the stairs, waving his trusty ladle in the air.  
Julian remained there for the rest of the day, next to her, lying on the bed with his hands on her belly or simply resting on her chest to listen to his wife's heartbeat, murmuring loving words.

And so it was for the following days, her husband did not move from there for all time. He only got up to stretch, otherwise absolutely no movement on his part.  
•••  
That evening, a few days later, Isadora was experiencing hallucinating pains all over her body. She was short of breath, had back pain and staggered if she had to get up to get something. This situation was absolutely frustrating for her; not being able to do anything without experiencing aches and pains everywhere was really unnerving, to the point that that same night, in the grip of a dizziness, he burst into tears, resting his forehead on the palm of his hand and sitting on the edge of the bed after hearing a particularly painful twinge in the back. She could not resist any longer and began to sob sharply, to the devil who would have told her she was exaggerating. Even though he knew that nobody would do it in the presence of Ilya, Portia, Nadia or anyone else, at least. He knew they would not hesitate to resume the rude who could say this with all the swear words that exist in the world (and it is one hundred percent sure that Julian would make an involuntary joke like "hold your legs together and cover the baby's ears" while he it covered Cassandra's.) Isadora was so grateful for the help her family and friends had been giving her these days, but she would have liked to be with them instead of being stuck in bed. This angered her more than anything else, not being able to be with her daughter. 

When Julian saw her cry immediately she was alarmed "Isadora!" He exclaimed kneeling beside her and taking her hands in his "my love, what's going on?" Isadora wiped away her tears quickly, even more evident in the dim light of the candle, her nose was red and her cheeks shiny from the tears. Julian brushed her hair away from her slightly sweaty face "hey... hey ..." he said in the most calm voice he could have "Does something hurt you?"  
"I would save time to tell you what doesn't hurt"  
Julian opened his mouth to say something and briefly lowered his gaze raising it on her a second after "your back?" he asked, reaching for her back to steady her "where does it hurt?" with a grimace of pain she moved a hand on her back very vaguely "somewhere here." She said through gritted teeth. She let her head drop back and closed her eyes with a sigh as she felt his hand move along her back; it was unusually warm and when the palm moved against her back, going up and down, it Was moving occasionally on her belly too. little by little the pain eased, and Isadora managed to relax, her crossed muscles loosened the tension. Julian smiled at her and helped her lie down in bed, making sure she was well covered and warm, then lay down next to her "Cassandra...?" Isadora asked, letting Julian pull her towards him "Maz put her to bed, she's sleeping like a stone"  
Isadora inhaled deeply the scent of coffee and tobacco that Julian gave off "that woman is a saint." she murmured tiredly, before a new pain hit her all over her body, bringing back a feeling of general malaise accompanied by total fatigue "I can already say how demanding this little guy will be." the woman commented, with a hoarse voice and without speaking the words. To comfort her, Julian wrapped her waist with his arms and kissed her on the forehead "try to get some rest." Although she believed that it would be impossible at first, sleep fell on both of them within minutes.  
•••  
it must have been three in the morning when Isadora woke up suddenly when she felt a strange sensation in the lower parts, got up in the bed and looked around in the darkness, then brought a hand to her belly and murmured to herself "what was that?" She remembered this feeling, the same feeling he had felt at Cassandra's birth. When she realized it, Isadora Devorak opened her eyes wide in realization, her heart quickened. Her waters had broken. Her brain went into confusion for a moment, the only thing that managed to bring it back to reality was the flicker of her hands resting on her large belly. She turned to the sleeping figure of her husband, lying on his stomach on the bed, his copper hair not even slightly touched by strands of silver were scattered on the pillow. Her first instinct was to shake him off the shoulder "Julian." there was no need to call him a second time; his eyes widened "what ... are you okay?" his voice was suddenly very clear.  
"my water broke. "  
Despite the darkness, Isadora recognized the expression on her husband's face clearly: he straightened up, his looks varied by elaboration, understanding, pure panic, surprise, joy, terror within ten seconds. "You're not dreaming" Isadora reiterated, smiling despite the initial panic. Seeing Julian go into an initial state of agitation despite it being his second time as a future father was very sweet. He started to get up, got tangled in the blankets, tumbled to the ground and got back up in a comical way wandering around the room like a madman muttering things to himself phrases that would have served to calm himself. "okay, okay, don't panic." he said to himself, taking a long breath "damn it, let's not lose our temper." he smoothed his hair back and tried to swell his chest with a courage that was gradually making its way. "okay. Okay ... do you already feel the contractions?" she then said, kneeling beside her.  
"I think I felt one a little while ago. It didn't hurt."  
Julian sighed "okay ... okay. Mazelinka is here, thank goodness."  
Isadora looked at him as he spoke and frantically lit a candle, his hands trembled and he seriously risked burning himself. "I'm going to call her, if you feel something call me immediately."  
He found his foster mother asleep on a chair next to Cassandra's bed, with a book open on her legs. Julian put a hand on her shoulder and slowly shook "Maz." she said, shaking harder "Maz, wake up" the old woman opened her eyes "I'm already awake, boy, what is it?"  
"the baby is coming. Isadora is in labor"  
Julian didn't have time to finish the sentence because Mazelinka was already on her feet, and had walked towards the door "blessed son, why didn't you call me earlier?" She muttered to herself, his tone changed immediately when he arrived from Isadora.  
With all that mess it was normal for Cassandra to wake up "Papa?" She murmured, rubbing her eyes "what's going on?"

Julian arranged the covers for her, smiling feigning tranquility "your little sibling is coming, Cassandra." the girl looked at her father, sitting up on the bed "when? now? can i see him?"  
"not yet, my darling," he replied.  
"why? where is it?"  
the innocence in her little girl's tone melted his heart "because it's still in Mummy's tummy" he said softly, removing a strand of hair from her face while Cassandra looked at him intently, until her eyes fell on the left hand of her father where he had the wedding ring ... and that tattoo that ached his nerves just looking at it.

Cassandra's tiny hands took his and she ran her little hands along her long fingers, Julian smiled letting his daughter's innate curiosity wander. Then she traced the tattoo line on Julian's hand. Her father feared that she would ask a few questions, but instead Cassandra concentrated on examining the brand "I like this one" commented the girl. Then she put her palm against Julian's for no apparent reason, but this made her smile "You have a huge hand,Papa!" She said in her usual high-pitched voice. Julian took the palm from hers, they were probably still far from active labor. So he had time to spend some time with his daughter before welcoming newborn baby number two into the Devorak family. He took her little hands and placed a gallant but at the same time funny kiss on her small knuckles, Cassandra chuckled. The most beautiful sound in the world for him, and even more as Cassandra put the covers away to climb on his lap "hey, where are you going monkey?" he said, grabbing her before she could get out of balance. His voice betrayed a hint of laughter "where did you learn to climb like this?" Cassandra tried to free herself by laughing "Papa!" She exclaimed. "Tell me, is my little pirate not sleepy?"  
Of course he had: from the yawn he had just made there was no doubt "but I don't want to sleep,Papa.." she muttered "I want to see my little sibling..."  
Julian rubbed her copper brown head, it was now a spontaneous reflection, and he gave her an encouraging smile "my love, I don't think your little sibling will be here for another couple of hours. I'll wake you up when you can meet them.. uncle Muriel and Uncle Asra will arrive shortly, in the meantime can you sleep a little for your Papa?"

Cassandra seemed to evaluate the idea, then nodded slightly "okay ... can you stay here until I fall asleep?"  
"Only if you promise me you will fall asleep seriously," replied her father, placing her under the covers and tucking them carefully to keep her from getting cold. As he performed, he hummed the lullaby that both of her parents always sang to her

"Where the north wind meets the sea  
There's a river full of memory  
Sleep, my darling, safe and sound  
For in this river all is found

In her waters, deep and true  
Lie the answers and a path for you  
Dive down deep into her sound  
But not too far or you'll be drowned

Where the north wind meets the sea  
There's a mother full of memory  
Come, my darling, homeward bound  
When all is lost, then all is found"

Cassandra was already snoring at the last verse. That lullaby always worked.


	7. Malcolm

"... one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten"  
Isadora abandoned herself on the pillow, loosening her grip on Julian's hand a little and catching her breath, closing her eyes for a brief moment. She had never forgotten how difficult it was to give birth as sweat dripped from her forehead and neck.  
Mazelinka this time stood on the sidelines, and it was Nazali who directed everything with a sure hand; Julian was glad that it was them who helped his second child being born, because there was no person he trusted most of his mentor. Nazali was directing everything with a steady hand and reassuring voice "very well, Isadora" they said "you are doing very well. You will have the baby in the next pushes, I need you to make one last effort. Do you understand?"  
Isadora nodded as Julian brushed her damp hair away from her forehead and giving her hand a reassuring squeeze "a little more and you're there." he reassured her, supporting her with one hand on her back, trying to guide her on how to breathe without letting betray a drop of sweat that ran down his eyebrow.  
"Now push for another ten seconds to release its shoulders," said Nazali "come on!"  
They began to count and Isadora gathered all her strength, writhing her face in the most determined grimace of effort, but didn't let go of a sound while her body was shaken by a thrill of power, a vein throbbed on her dark forehead. Julian had the feeling that his own hand was gonna shatter under the force of that grasp. After the check, Nazali announced that the shoulders were out and this time they didn't wait for her to catch her breath, they immediately ordered her to continue pushing this time for five seconds. She had no choice but to gather all her strength and try to keep that shiver on, this time a slight sound of effort escaped her lips. She felt Julian's grip on his back tremble slightly, and he realized that he was already about to cry with emotion. She pushed for what seemed like an eternity, but just as she felt herself fainting, the pain disappeared completely and she found herself practically loose against Julian's grip, greatly loosening the grip on his poor hand and panting as if dhe had just come back from a thousand meters run . Nazali was now concentrating on a tiny blood-covered creature they held in their arms, giving him a few pats on the back to help him make his first cry, when this came Doctor Satrinava let out a roaring laugh while Isadora laughed panting and Julian was gripprd by a mix of tears and hysterical laughter "it's a boy!" Nazali roared, looking at the boy's parents with something that seemed pride towards their apprentice as they cleaned the baby and wrapped him in clean swaddling clothes. Julian unbuttoned his shirt with trembling hands, he knew the procedure but always with the terror of letting him fall "congratulations, Julian" they said placing his son in his arms.

Julian greeted the newborn with shaking hands; the color of his reddened skin was Isadora's olive and to his delight his son had the delicate nose of his mother " you Hey..hey..." he said in a voice full of emotion "I'm your dad...how are you doing, buddy?" He said softly "you look so much like your mom... " He sat next to Isadora on the bed, giving her the newborn baby who was crying softly "oh my god ... hello darling, hello handsome..." she murmured softly, her voice broken by some sobs while the child moved unevenly small fists around the mother's hair "and I am your mother ..." The cry of the newborn finally ceased, and he opened his eyes; they were purple like Isadora's, they were big and full of innocence and curiosity while looking at their parents. Mazelinka wiped away a tear secretly, but this came to Isadora's eye "Maz, are you crying?" asked the new mother for the second time. Grandma shook her head "absolutely not!" She said, betraying a touched smile "do you want me to go and call Cassandra?"

"Better to clean it up first, I don't want Cass to get a scare at all this blood." said Isadora.  
•••

Cassandra was still asleep when Asra woke her up, lightly shaking her off the shoulder "Cassie" he softly call her "Hey, Cassie ..."  
recognizing her uncle's voice, Cassandra opened one eye and immediately gave him a side smile. Asra found himself swallowing, observing how much that smile was like Ilya's "Uncle Asra ..." the girl murmured, sleepy. She reached out a hand to rub her eyes  
"hey kiddo," answered the magician, crouching on his ankles and resting his elbows on the edge of the bed "did you sleep well, my little snake?" Cassandra chuckled at that nickname, it was her favorite besides the 'man cub', so uncle Muriel called her. Cassandra, now perfectly awake, straightened up in bed. Her dark copper hair was a shooter from all sides, her small pigtail she wore with her hair was unkempt "yes!" She exclaimed "I dreamed that I was riding a dinosaur!" her eyes shone, and that enthusiasm was contagious for all the adults in the room (every time Cassandra found herself in one). And Asra thanked every arcana he knew because Cassandra didn't seem to have inherited the shadowy side of Ilya's character, taking the rest from her wonderful mom. Asra chuckled " really? Wow!" he said, and then approached Cassandra lowering his tone "listen, do you want to meet someone who can't wait to meet you?" Cassandra looked confused, but nodded slowly. She seemed to have already forgotten what her father had said to her a few hours earlier. Asra pulled the covers aside and picked up his niece "up we go!" her uncle said playfully, resting his forehead against Cassie's. His white curls fell on her auburn head creating a contrast that made him smile, he waved her for a moment in his arms,feeling the little girl's hands grabbing his shirt and giggling. Uncle and niece then walked towards the hatch door, Asra knocked lightly and after a slight noise of the heels of Julian's boots and the creaking of the open door and Cassandra's dad looked at them from beyond the door "Papa!" Cassie exclaimed, immediately reaching out to him. Gently, Asra passed his niece into her father's arms and Julian took her with a confident hand "oh, my little girl!" he said holding her tightly "how I missed you!"

He kissed her face repeatedly and with decidedly exaggerated and dramatic sounds "I'll leave you to it." Asra said, turning towards the stairs. Julian raised an eyebrow "Asra, wait." he said, "come in, Muriel and you, too."  
The sorcerer turned to his apprentice's husband, his purple eyes were as kind and understanding as they always had been "No Ilya, this should be a family moment," he told him sympathetically. Muriel listened from under the stairs; in those hours he had taken care of the house for them, and stopped as he wiped a plate overhearing the conversation. Cassandra looked at both her father and uncle. "but uncle Asra!" he said, before his father could answer himself "you both are part of the family!"  
His face with some hint of wrinkle on the edges of his lips softened at the words of his niece; the wizard ran a hand through his hair "..." but he couldn't utter a word, he just looked at Muriel,who joined him a little hesitantly.  
Isadora held a bundle in her arms that occasionally moved against her breast and ran her face over the dark skin of Isadora's chest. When she heard them come in, she looked up and smiled "don't stand there like stockfish, come in." he said "but take it easy."  
The three men and the girl entered the room and Julian sat on the bed with Cassandra in his arms; his daughter's gray eyes wandered over her mom's figure, resting curiously on the bundle in her hands. Isadora smiled to see how Cassandra twisted to take a close look at her brother. "Cassie, this is your little brother Malcolm." She said gently, leaning the bundle over to her daughter so Cassie could watch it. Malcolm was a name that had been suggested by Muriel, and while Isadora was pregnant with him both she and her husband had voted for Malcolm if it would have been a boy, and Alexandra if it would have been a girl. The girl leaned forward; her brother was very small ... he had a red face and not a trace of hair. He looked like an alien, she thought, twisting her mouth to the side "do you want to hold him in your arms?" Julian asked. Cassie nodded, maybe she could take a closer look at him. Julian slowly took his son in his arms and gently placed him among those of his eldest daughter "here you are... careful with his head" he didn't in any case let go of Malcolm and Cassandra: disturbed by all those voices Malcolm stretched, returning then motionless. "hello little brother" said Cassandra in a low voice "I wanna speak slowly because I don't wanna scare you ... I'm your big sister and my name's Cassandra. But you can call me Cassie." The adults didn't interrupt that conversation, even Muriel found himself smiling as he and Asra entered ... pity that Mazelinka and Nazali were missing the scene; but Nazali had probably gone to spread the news of the birth of Devorak number two, including in Nadia and Portia while Mazelinka had gone to get what was needed to help out at home and with Cassandra in the days to come.  
Cassandra went even closer to her sleeping brother, observing him as a critic observes a work of art to gain some value "you're so weird ... you look like an alien, you know?" She said giving voice to her thoughts "but I love you anyway, little brother ... and then surely I too looked like an alien when I was born."  
Julian and Isadora could not help but exchange a fleeting glance "you have a strong critical sense, Cassandra" commented Asra "very fussy for your age."

"thank you uncle," she replied proudly. Asra folded his arms, peering to see the newborn baby "so, little Malcolm ..." he said smiling sweetly and then looking at Muriel.  
"... you used my suggestion." He ascertained. Isadora nodded "we liked it so much, thanks Muriel."  
that mountain of man just smiled "... no big deal." he said in his usual shy and apathetic tone, but Isadora knew perfectly well that underneath he was very happy ... he had only difficulty in showing it.

"Anyway exactly," she said. "I present you Malcolm Pavel."  
the name of Ilya's father. Upon hearing it Julian's eye shot towards his wife clouded by a whirlwind of emotions; pride, nostalgia, emotion ... all together in that single gray iris "Cassandra has the second name of my aunt ... I thought it would be nice to honor your father by giving our son his name as a second name..." Julian was quick to wipe a tear. He wouldn't cry in front of his daughter and son, but the awareness that he was like his father more than he thought hit him in the chest ... Pavel had married at exactly 20 years of age, and at 23 years the couple had given birth to their first son Ilya,on March 12 of that year, during a rainy day on their ship. Pasha had arrived seven years later, On February 7 and this time the sun shone high in the sky, the sea was calm and she had come into the world screaming like an obsess. Pavel and Ilona had died in the shipwreck when Ilya was nine and Pasha was 3. Julian and Isadora had married at 27 and 25, had had Cassandra at the age of 28 and 26, and were now with a second child at the age of 32 and 30 years. Julian couldn't believe he had come so far, looking at the ring on his finger and that of the woman he had known by breaking into her shop...not knowing at the time that he would fall in love with that austere face and her decisive but maternal ways that had always suggested that one day she would be an excellent mother, and not knowing that with her he would have fathered those two wonders of children. He was proud of everything; proud of that wonderful woman, strong and stubborn with whom he had fallen in love and who had been his rock in all respects,and who he loved and admired each day as it was the first and he would until his very last breath dropped from his lips...he was proud when people said that Cassandra looked like him and would have been happy if people said the same about Malcolm ... because he knew that once he was gone, part of him would continue to live on within his children, to remind the people of old Dr. Devorak, of his sharp smiles (if the memory wasn't deceiving it was really one of them what had brought to their first daughter), of his dramatic making and of all the characteristics that made him the iconic Doctor Devorak.


	8. End of prologue : chapter 1

Asra jumped as the door to the palace card-reading room swung open, slamming hard against the peach-pink painted wall. If the wood had beaten harder, a huge crack would have appeared. The thirty-six-year-old magician compressed his mouth in a thin line, shrugging with his eyes closed, Faust hid in his jacket.

Slowly he turned and was welcomed by the sight of a dark copper hair disheveled by an alleged run to the palace, a shoulder bag and a dress of which Cassandra had very little care with some blade of grass stuck in it "I know, I know I know! "

exclaimed the twelve-year-old girl, quickly waving her hands in front of herself in a hurry and leaning on her peeled and bruised knees to catch her breath "I'm very late,sooo very late indeed ... but I can explain!"

Patiently, the magician turned his body towards his niece and crossed his legs, extending his arms and crossing his hands above his knee, raised an eyebrow trying to hide a smile in the face of that frenetic aspect.

Cassie's gray eyes wandered hungry over her every expression, she seemed ready to defend herself from a possible scolding as she took her breath and straightened, leaning against the door jamb. Two members of the servants looked at her confused, and Cassandra gave them a casual and clumsy smile before looking at her uncle again, the smile immediately collapsed. "And what would that be?" finally asked the magician, without his purple eyes breaking contact with the gray eyes of Isadora's daughter.

Cassandra closed the door "There was this squirrel who was being chased by a crow, at first I thought it was Malak but then since it wasn't, and I tried to stop him! Only he caught me and I had to go to rinse my hand... and then Malcolm followed me and I had to bring him back to Mazelinka, then the crow was gone and- " Asra raised a hand to stop his excuse and Cassandra fell silent "well, I'm sorry."

"I know," he replied, "but I need you to be punctual from now on. Magic is not simple and requires time and attention. You will have to be more organized and careful, do you understand that?" Cassandra nodded softly, rubbing her arm and looking at her shoes.

"yes, Uncle Asra." She said with a whisper and a touch of redness on her cheeks, perhaps deducible to the shame of that fool. Asra could never remain severe with both Isadora and Ilya's children, she loved them too much to play the part of the grumpy uncle (because that was Muriel). He saw a great deal of both Isadora and Julian in Cassandra and Malcolm; Malcolm was a careful observer, but he was terribly turbulent and adventurous. In general young Levane-Devorak number two would have become more of a Levane, with their strength of spirit and love of challenges. It was not for nothing that Isadora married Julian.

By now there was a pile of dark orange hair on his head like Aunt Portia's. His desire for adventure had caused Julian and Isadora to sprout more than a few white hairs, as when he had come home with a raccoon in his arms and an eyebrow half wracked by scratches and bites. Asra remembered that episode as the time Julian seriously risked having a heart attack and Isadora having a panic attack.

Cassandra was more outgoing, however, a long time to go for walks in the streets of Vesuvia, so she knew everyone well and was liked by everyone as her brother was. There was no doubt that she was Julian's daughter as there was no doubt that Malcolm, nicknamed Mal, was Isadora's son.

"So, do you remember what spell we have to practice today?" asked the magician, nodding at the books in front of him while Cassandra put the shoulder bag in front of the table and sat on the stool "uhm ..." she said, moistening her lips with her tongue as she thought. She took his hair off his face and ventured a : "how to make the withered plants grow again...?" Asra smiled "almost, but no. Turn to the next page." he said tapping his forefinger on the current page, resting his chin on the palm of his hand while the girl was performing, the edge of her eyebrows already arched downwards with concentration.

"how to create water?" She read the title with skeptical disbelief " _Real_ water? not like the illusions you showed me?"

Asra smiled satisfied, drumming his fingers on the table and then nodding in his usual mysterious way that fascinated his ex-apprentice's daughter so much. "This is a little more advanced, we'll learn how to manifest water in its physical, tangible state. Read what it says."

As insightful and intelligent as Cassie was (giving Caesar what belongs to Caesar, that was a gift definitively taken by her wily but intelligent father) some concepts were difficult to concretize; Magic was all based on attention, concentration and perspicacity. No spell is the same as the other, but it's all about focusing without distraction. Asra was keen that she shouldn't be in a hurry,but understand the concepts instead of repeating them in a parrot and getting stuck once she got to practice, it wouldn't be right.

Cassandra had to detach herself from her rational vision of magic, and concentrate on the abstract side of it; something that Julian had managed to do on very few occasions with simple spells, sometimes it's just a matter of predisposition... Cassandra read the page five times in those two hours, biting her nails in the meantime, frowning, Asra patiently attacked, hands crossed over the table and his back erect; then Cassandra looked at him determined.

"I'm ready!" She said jumping to her feet and putting her hands forward, which made Asra chuckle. The magician lowered her arms and made her reside again with kindness "hey, hey" he said laughing at Cassie's confused expression "hold back for a moment, missy. I want to understand if you _really_ understand or if you're doing everything in a hurry. "

She was a good student, but she was very impulsive and impatient. Cassandra seemed to refrain from snorting. "What do we do to evoke the memory of water?" Asra asked. Cassandra replied shooting like a spring "we use the type of salt of the water we want to use."

"hmm, what if we want to evoke fresh water instead of salt water?" Cassandra bit her lower lip with her incisors.

"So ... uhm ... does the thought turn to the taste of water?" Asra waved his hand in midair "you're close." he said encouragingly, his purple eyes patient as always. Cassandra took a while to think about it and while she was beating her index finger on her temple insistently.

"brain, don't fail me now..." she muttered. Asra reached out a hand to hold It in his niece's "it's all right, Cassandra" he said gently "don't speed up the course of things, be patient." She closed her eyes and made her head fall backwards with an exasperated growl "but I wanna learn! I'll never do it if I can't make such a simple spell!" Asra crossed his fingers under his chin, looking at her with the look of someone who knows everything. Cassandra knew that her uncle was very wise, she read it in his eyes every time. But he was as interesting as mysterious. Whenever she went to him, he would tell her stories of when he, her uncles, aunts and her parents were young. She told her about things like huge boats that he and Papa had been to many times, a magical land Mama discovered, how much Aunt Nadia would have liked it if she had learned to ride and how Aunt Portia couldn't wait for her niece and nephew to visit her at the cottage in the woods.

"What do we always tell you?"

"not to stress myself?"

"and also..?" Cassandra bit her lip "To give time to time." Asra hummed contentedly, putting a hand on her shoulder. Cassandra could literally feel the magic radiating from the tips of his fingers and on her shoulder, Uncle Asra was truly something special.

"you have to give yourself time, you can't be born and fly." said "Malak knows this well".

Cassandra looked down "What if I _can't_ learn?" She asked, her gray-purple eyes planted on her boots just below the knee, brown. Asra's tone soothed her "Means you're gonna be good at something else." He said "What can you tell me? How is Adrik doing?".

Talking about her familiar awakened the girl's good mood, who immediately straightened up on her chair. Every time she smiled, her face would light up "he is fine, but every now and then he flies on Papa's head and pulls his hair!" and burst out laughing "you should see the face that Mama makes every time it happens! Malak gets very angry!" Asra couldn't help imagining Julian, slightly graying as he was beginning to be, cringing at the sudden tingling of someone pulling his hair and Isadora refraining from laughing at that scene, then Malak croaking towards the young robin, who ran to hide in Cassandra's dark copper hair.

It was so strange to think that Isadora and Julian were now 37 and 38 and that they would soon be 40, and the change in their faces would have been truly incredible. Time had been generous with Asra, giving him only a few lines around his mouth to show the fold of his beautiful smile. Some gray strands were more evident in Isadora's dark hair than in Julian's lighter one. Both were like a wine, one might say, the older they got the more they knew how to bring their age well.

Julian had some inevitable wrinkles of expression, given his tendency to drama and exaggerated expressions. But they looked great on his face, they clung perfectly to his skin and it was as if they had always been there. Isadora did not show much of her age, some wrinkles appeared under the eyes. She was very youthful for a 37 year old woman, but she knew very well how to be a good mother and a good wife. And if there was one thing Asra was surprised at, it was how fond he was of Cassie and Mal, though it was inevitable.

He loved them so much that he sometimes felt overwhelmed by it, and the only way to express it was to want to spend as much time with them as possible, making himself useful as a babysitter sometimes. Time had flown "oh dear!" said the magician "your parents will be waiting for you!" Cassandra seemed surprised "time has flown!" She exclaimed, taking back the book and putting it in het bag "who knows if Malcolm has returned to grandmama Mazelinka or if he's been strolling! argh, he's incorrigible! he never listens to me!" Asra got up from the table and accompanied her to the door "sounds like Ilya's son, all right" he muttered to himself, amused and then opening the door.

"Cassie, I'm afraid I won't be there next week." Cassandra turned to him, and looked at him insistently to then understand "another trip...?" She asked in a sad voice.

Asra nodded softly "yes." he said "will you be good and will you practice when you have time?" Cassandra nodded softly "yes, but don't you stay away for so long ...promise?" Asra bit his lip; he hated having to get away from all that was dearest to him for an unspecified period of time, but it was to make sure it was really all right with the other worlds.

"I promise." he said, then hugged her in an embrace that only Julian would have been able to replicate perfectly "I love you, Cassie. Always remember that." Cassandra savored her uncle's spicy scent and closed her eyes. Who knew when she could have embraced him again... "be careful." She said in a tense voice. Asra loosened the embrace, but not before wiping a tear secretly and then rising to his full height, posture relaxed and leaning against the door jamb.

"now go, straight home without veering anywhere. Say hello to everyone from my part. " Cassandra nodded "I will. See you soon, uncle." he smiled sadly before walking down the corridor under Asra's attentive gaze.

The wizard closed the door only after his niece was out of sight.


End file.
